Dear Brother Knights:

In the Gospel reading of the Third Sunday in Lent, Jesus Christ talks about two political events in Palestine by which some people who started an uprising were killed viciously by the governing régime. He makes the people aware who are listening to Him that they were not worse off morally than the rest of the inhabitants in Judea. Then He tells a parable by which He explains what He means.

He warns the people that all will have a dreadful end if they don’t repent. The word repent is used, but quite often doesn’t bring the full content of Jesus Christ’s speech. In the later writings of the New Testament the term repent is replaced by “metanoia”. The best translation we can find is, to think differently. St. Paul uses this term quite frequently and his very life shows what is meant with this Word. Paul was a persecutor of the church and had no squabble to kill people who followed Jesus Christ. Paul tells at a later age that he has done more for the church than any of the other apostles, but he defines this doing as the ‘doing of Jesus’. Paul made himself weak to make the presence of Jesus strong. One can imagine that he meditated on Jesus life most of his time and became zealous for God and his church. At the end of his life, he has no difficulties to be killed by the Roman authority, because of his enthusiasm for his faith.

We all have to learn from this story to be in contact with our Saviour on a daily basis. To learn to think as Christ does must be a life-long undertaking and never stop until we die. This life style will fill our hearts with joy and also gives us surety that we are on the right track and live the right life.

My dear brother knights, what I attempt to explain to you and myself is not an easy task. However, I believe this is the only life to which we should aspire.

Fr. Frank Feldmann, SAC
Chaplain, Council 4878